How stressed out do you get by TV quiz shows? And would that change if you were a contestant yourself? Cognitive researchers at the University of Arizona have studied back-episodes of Mastermind to find out how people react in high-stress situations - particularly how much they blink. Their findings offer insight into how blinking changes in stressful and mentally challenging situations – but also what it can tell us about cognitive processes. Claudia Hammond hears from BBC presenter and Celebrity Mastermind "Champion of Champions" 2019, Samira Ahmed, and speaks to Bob Wilson, associate professor in cognitive science and psychology at the University of Arizona, about the research.
Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten what you came in for? Studies show that changing your physical location can "bookend" thoughts and shape how our memories compartmentalise information. Now a new study has been looking at whether shifts in our moods can do the same. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, used music to elicit specific emotions in subjects, so they could assess how changes in emotional states might affect how memories are formed. Claudia hears from assistant professor of psychology, David Clewett, one of the paper’s authors.
And this week's studio guest Catherine Loveday, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains why anger can on occasion be a rather useful emotion.
Organisations offering information and support relating to some of the issues covered in this series of All In The Mind can be found at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lucy Taylor Studio Manager: Tim Heffer Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire Editor: Holly Squire
Autobiographical memory loss, All in the Mind Awards, Gaming addiction, Depression after Spanish flu
Predicting memory loss in Parkinson's, 22 The Avenue phoneline, Alexander Morison archive
KIM in the Awards, Smell blindness, How to find help for your own mental health, Paul Broks
Psychosis and medication, AITM awards, Challenging antisocial behaviour
The Feel Good Garden at Chelsea Flower Show, All in the Mind Awards, avoiding exam stress
Why is yawning catching? And the nurse who went the extra mile to help her cancer patient
Self-driving cars and the pedestrian, Risk tolerance in the brain, Awards nominee
Changing mindsets, Exercise to prevent depression, Nathan and Judith
Sarah's runners, Avatars and eyewitness testimony, Untranslatable words
The Loneliness Experiment
Children of parents with mental illness, Exercise perception, Dame Kelly Holmes, Addressing panic attacks
Intuition, All in the Mind Awards, Transcranial direct current stimulation, Think Ahead
Dementia films, The unconscious mind, Citizen mental health campaign
The Brain Prize winners
Claudia Hammond launches the 2018 All in the Mind Awards
Sibling rivalry, Prisoner of war diaries, Inflammation and depression
Sleep paralysis; Exploding head syndrome; Robot therapy; Mental health awareness
Personality change, Roald Dahl's Marvellous Medicine, Insider's Guide, The self-help craze
New brain cells and depression; Yoga in prisons; Insiders' Guide; Preferring our own ideas
Mental health support in the community; Awareness in children; Insiders' Guide
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